The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1887-09-17
THE SILVER IMAGE.

THE SILVER IMAGE.
"Oh, surely, come along! What nvais it
to sit mopins i'll this lonely place all night!
Come. eh.'
Not tonight" answer.
ooh, BAH Ia vida es un fandango yr-
You think am n great fool not to dance
at the ball tonight, eli, Florian:"
We'll, yes"
Florian and l are both attaches of lega-
ton in Lima 1t was my first diplomatic APP
pointment and some years ago now.
Perhaps, amigo; but have much writing
to TO and"-
'Writing, chez What will Josefina and
Mercedes, aud Carmen :nnd Alcita, and Do
lores, Paquita and Consuelo do when you are
not there.'
Run you and console theln," laugh.
Not until frighten you into accompany
ing me.'
How so,'
"Oh, heard today the legend attached to
this house; it is enough to make the blood run
coli!'
"Well, an warm; tell it."
"Hou know the house is over 500 years old,
Well, it was built hy two brothcrs-Jews;
mon of immense wealth, obtained by means
of their silver mines, especially the Mira
fioreS"--
"Ah, that mine which is now flooded and
which no science has been able to tlrain!"
"Precisely. Well, the Jesuits, you know
Florian hlinlSs his eyes cxpressively-"they
say that Senor Jose, the younger brother,
had made for himself IN imnge in silver Of
the Blessed Virgin weighing forty pounds;
l.,
der he fell upon his knees and, after tho Gus
tom of the Jews, said his prayers, and that
Immediately aftcrward he took bunch Of
rods, sharply tipped-fancy! nni beat the
image with the frenzy of mailman. Every
morning, they said, as tho q,,arraquirri
tapped three, the Jew set to work on his
dan,nablc task. Oh, say, look here, why do
you start" Florian pauses
Did ll'
'Yes. Good-goodl You nre already be-
coming frightened"
Maybe: continue"
"Wcll, to make long story short, you sec.
the Jes,ts-they are very clever-they seize
Srnor Jose and put him in prison. Senior
Jacob, lie is very clever also: he offers the
Jesuits money, but they say no, that in Spain
alone can so heinous all otIcnse he tried or
receive punishment or pardon. Senor Jacob
asks for the tine to 60 to Spain to interce4le
for his brother, and offers large sum for
tho privilege; not large enough, however; he
doubles it; no; trebles and Quadruples it, al
most beggaring himself to do 30 and at last
tho Jesuits accept his propositions. He sets
forth-but before he goes he spends night
away from home, and the day after lie has
sailed the Miraflores mne-the source of all
his weulth-is found to he flooded. As you
know, todny it remains the same.'
"Ani Senior josef"
"Ah you are anxiousl Well, what do Won
thinks The ship was not out OF sight of the
port of Callao before Senor Jose, together
with his image, was walled uI,-think Of it
innnured, buried alive!-in the room in which
he was said to have daily beaten it."
"Whatl"
"Oh, but yes, assure you; and oil those in
credible noises that we have heard arc the
spirit of Senor Jose begging some charitable
person to come and release him from his
Charncl house. Say, you will come to the
ball now, eh.'
''By nn MEANS"
COB. you arc u fool.''
ooh, we'll, tomorrow you tell me how
many duennas you have cluletl, and how
many delightful waists you have claspel."
flOflhn ns lr1t me.
blow ont TIE candles; the curtains that di.
vide the enormous room in two parts wave
gently bar!, nnd forth in the breeze lean
my heal upon the window ledge, for the
jaousics open. and the roscs-the splendid
flowers Of Lma's patron saint-come strag.
Cling In, freighting tho sea wind with their
luscious sweetness.
A fortnight ago was awakened at little
before = N ht. ,,orniney I,r ctro,,ro .t,,;i
noise, something like the metallic whir of O
bundle of rods striking against hard and
ringing substance. In a moment moro the
tapestry swung out far into tho wind and
heard the quarrnquirri OH the mud roof tap
off 3 o'clock, the bells Of the convent rang
out and presently, as the slow dawn crc,,t in
at tho easement, heard again TINT metallic
sound, growing fainter fainter, i,listingnish-
ably lost somewhere down the broad corridor.
l arose and pressed my hand to my forehead:
it was cold and wet My hands trembled MS
struck light.
And now, thirteen times more in succession
had this thing happened to me-
1t annoyed and puzzled mo.
am not superstitiors person; neveithe-
less it would have been folly not to recognize
the coinci'lences between any experiences and
the story Floran had told me.
As have said. had the writing to do, but
] had determined to sit up tho entire night in
order that til" force of habit should not have
the power to influence me in awakening at
any special hour
l had made up my mind TO give to the
thing, whatever it was, the full benefit Of NIL
my senses, nnncumbered by the drowsincss
and mental inetliciency incident to the first
moments after nights sleep
If the house-a superbly large one, by tho
by, with its grand branching staircases and
wide, cool galerics-was haunted, we'll, there;
would find out what thing-spirit, flesh,
tangible or untangible-it harborcd
Haunted.
laughed aloud
II was an odd experience to find myself sit
ting up of night i'll Lima to watch for
ghost
The moon tnrned around the corner and
threw now but little beam in at my window
over the top of the cathedral roof The breeze
from the sea had ceased. Florian, too, had
come home. Seeing that my candles we're
not lighted, lie had taken for granted that
was asleep and had not parted the curtains
between our rooms.
Did feel ,lrowsv.
Surely-yes.
But Lifted my head and by The moonlight
l looked at my watch 1t was half after two.
LAID it upon the table before mt.
lighted n candle.
II ghosts absolutely refuse to demonstrate
themselves save i'll the darkness. then tonight
l should not hear Senor Jose beating the sl.
YER image of the Blessed Virgin nor-
lark.
Oh, bah The forlorn tingle of a far of
lutte
set the candle nearer to my eyes as sat
leaning my chin in my palms.
There!
The quarraquirri tapped three. l steadily
took time to glance down at my watch. The
hands marked the hour of three
And-what thenl
Anything. ..
Yes.
The metallic whir--dios! could distin-
gush the string of each separate rod as it fell,
fail like. upon the ringing silver.
rs.Is